In the Dark of the Night
by Inbetweentheraindrops
Summary: A prank gone horribly wrong sends Severus Snape spiralling into an alternative universe as a baby. In the wrong family.
1. Chapter 1

A prank gone horribly wrong sends Severus Snape spiraling into an alternate universe as a small baby. In the wrong family.

 **Disclaimer: I do not own HP as sad as that is.**

* * *

The door swung open with enough force that it made a huge boom as the wood splintered on the wall behind it. He took a deep breath, balling his hands into fists. He held the breath for a moment before letting it out in a controlled huff out of his large nose. He closed his eyes briefly in both pain and anger.

He rolled his shoulders back, opened his eyes, shook out his hands, and entered the room. He pulled out his ebony wand and directed it at the door repairing the damage almost instantly. He tucked the stick away with a heavy sigh.

He closed the newly repaired door softly behind him, most of his anger had splintered along with the door leaving him feeling mostly tired and depressed. Severus Snape scrubbed a hand over his face feeling his thirty some odd years greatly in that very moment. He technically wasn't all that old but the stress that he had placed on his body made him age far faster than normal.

He opened his eyes, wasn't even aware that he had closed them, and walked slowly towards the liquor cabinet. He needed something extremely strong, stronger than even fire whiskey. He placed a hand on the nobs and paused. He placed his forehead against the cold glass doors that held his assortment of Christmas given alcohol. Severus pulled away from the cabinet empty handed, he just knew that he needed his wits about him, he'd probably get an 'unexpected' visit from an old meddler.

Severus glared at the empty fireplace, he had taken down the charm that lit it every time someone walked through the door. It was something that Lily would have loved, and for that reason alone he dismantled it. It also helped that when the hearth lit an old man in some kind of wretched color smiled at him from behind half-moon glasses.

After years of thinking and the self-depreciating lines that carved his arms, torso, legs and even back he came to the realization that Albus Dumbledore had let him walk away that night when Tom had interrupted that overheard prophecy. He had to have known that Severus was standing just outside of that door listening in. Albus could have easily seen and wiped Severus's mind. He had watched Albus do that a dozen different times to others who were simply in the way of the greater good.

Severus sank heavily into a black leather armchair, he leaned forward over his knees to place his head in his hands and his elbows on his knees. Albus Dumbledore had a strange concept of what the 'greater good' was. For years now Severus had studied and searched for the answer, ever since that boy waltzed into these halls looking exactly like James Potter with Lily's eyes. It hurt the first time he had made contact with those eyes in his classroom, and he did what he knows how best. Strike defensively at the source of the hurt.

He had done that very thing again within the last twenty-four hours. The boy had stupidly lost his temper and shoved right back, all the way to that horrible memory. Of James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew taunting him as they hung him upside down with his _own_ spell. Remus Lupin was there of course but in the background like usual nose stuck in a book, too spineless to go against his so called friends. (Severus doesn't blame him, he would have behaved the exact same if he was in his shoes.)

Severus had managed to push the boy out of his head long before that accursed word left his mouth, but the boy had seen enough. Seen just enough for him to look at him with wide eyes, eyes that didn't exactly hold pity but something he really, really doesn't want to contemplate.

Severus sat still waiting for the floo to sound for what felt like hours. He finally brought his head up, his spine was stiff and sore. He really must have been sitting there for hours in his horrible self-loathing. He looked at the clock that he had spent too much time on trying to get it to work inside the castle once upon a time, he had quite literally sat in his chair all night. He had an hour before he needed to be down in the great hall, and not once during that time did Albus come a calling.

Severus refused to believe that Harry Potter had managed to keep himself from tattling, Albus was just a busy man and would stop by another time.

* * *

Severus narrowed his eyes from behind the desk, his spine still ached and he honestly couldn't bring himself to carefully monitor these students even if Neville Longbottom was among their ranks.

So far no one was close to causing an explosion or meltdown. It was a relief but he still felt on edge, it could have been the result of absolutely no sleep (but he has done that more times than he can count) or it had something to do with the way the Potter boy kept looking his way, eyes lingering until Severus looked his way. The boy would quickly turn his focus back on his cauldron and pretend that he wasn't just caught staring.

Severus sighed looking back down at the papers in front of him, his quill dipped in blood red ink twitched in his hand. His brow furrowed just slightly, "Péra apó ta lípi kai zoferí, pou den boreí na eínai pio." He muttered to himself, that was Greek, wasn't it? He blinked feeling slightly of kilter, the world was growing dark and spinning just slightly. He stood up quickly and glanced around the room, taking in all the wide-eyed fifth years staring back at him. He grabbed the edge of his desk and clung to the wood as his body swayed to the right.

Severus blinked and his world upended in sparkles and white.

White clouds filled to the brim with sparkling specks covered the classroom and when it finally dispersed Severus Snape was no more.

* * *

 **I'm using this as a sort of pilot chapter. I got attacked by plot bunnies and they might not stop now.**

 **The Greek I used was directly from Google translate because I'm an unfortunate soul not blessed with that language. Anyways I wasn't all that creative with the wording either- it means by grease and grime, be you no more.**

 **Raindrops**


	2. Chapter 2

A prank gone horribly wrong sends Severus Snape spiraling into an alternate universe as a small baby. In the wrong family.

 **Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own Harry Potter.**

* * *

It was mostly touch and go, his consciousness would slide to the forefront of his mind and he would think wrong, wrong. so very wrong. He didn't particularly understand just what was going on as he wasn't aware long enough to formulate a conclusive conclusion.

Months went by before he was able to really open his eyes and understand, but that went wrong as well. A wrong face so close to his own, a wrong pair of arms gently rocking him back and forth. He felt the wrongness of his body, he should have been much too big to fit into the crook of this woman's arm. That alone sent him into a crying fit, then it doubled because where was his control?

He came to at another time in a crib of all places. He was sitting up, tears wet on his cheeks, and pain in his gums. A soft whine left his mouth every time he breathed out. It didn't take him long to put the rest together even as he watched a blonde woman extend her arms to lift him out of the crib. "Shh, Astraeus, mummy's here." She pulled him against her shoulder and lightly bounced side to side. He cries quieted on reflex rather than his judgment.

Severus Snape was now a baby, in the wrong family.

He didn't feel quite as upset at that realization, as he had thought he would be. Instead, it felt like some sort of relief and he placed his head on the curve of the woman's shoulder. His eyes closed without his consent, he drifted off at the sound of soft humming.

He grew significantly each time he opened his eyes or at least his 'soul's eyes', it was hard to tell how much time had passed without the ability to recognize how much he had grown. He distinctly remembers learning to crawl, even learning to stand. He, however, doesn't remember learning to walk, but running? He remembers taking off and never looking back. He also remembers several of the crash landings and the healing spells his 'mum' would whisper.

At his first birthday here in the world Severus came to and he stayed awake afterward, much longer than he had before.

It was a slow process coming fully in control of this body, and at the age of two Severus had finally won complete dominance with his soul and body.

* * *

"Astraeus."

Severus looked up at the man with dark black curls that were tied back into a low tail at the nape of his neck, gray eyes looked down at him softly. This was the man Severus only knew as Father- or when Mother talked about him, Daddy.

Father extended his hand for Severus to take, his small slightly chubby hand barely fit around Father's pinky. Father gifted him with a small smile, "come along, son. Your mum is expecting us."

Severus didn't question it, didn't even open his mouth. He waddled more than walked still and it grated against his every nerve, but he waddled as fast as he could alongside his father towards a room he had never been in. It wasn't surprising as he had only really been in about three rooms total; the front room, the entry hall, and his nursery. He had been in the hallways but normally Father or Mother would come along with him, there was that one time with a house elf that never happened again.

He heard cries earlier, but he had been tucked away in his nursery with enchanted toys to entertain himself with. He had amused himself with finding the coding on the toys, something he never thought to learn about before he found himself stuck as a child.

They made it to the door, his father hand his hand settled on the knob when he looked down at him. "Astraeus," Father didn't continue, just gave him another small smile. This smile was different it was happy and full of awe. Severus didn't quite grasp why Father looked at him like that.

Father opened the door and tugged Severus inside by his hand.

Severus blinked taking in his very tired looking Mother practically lounging back on a stack of pillows that kept her somewhat upright. In her arms were two bundles, they were white blankets nestled into the crook of each arm.

Father lifted Severus from the ground. He got a better look at the lazy self-satisfied smile that curved his Mother's mouth, and two pink faces snuggled into the blankets. His eyes widened when he connected the dots rather easily. "Look, Astraeus, these are your little sisters." Mother whispered around the smile.

Severus looked at the two girls in slight wonder, he had been on his own for most of his childhood before and he had always entertained the idea of having a sister or brother because sometimes it got just a bit too lonely. Now in this childish body, he has two baby sisters.

Father pointed to the one cradled in Mother's left arm, "That is Andromeda." Then he pointed at the other girl, "and this is Bellatrix."

Severus felt his heart stop, restart, and then stuttered at a much higher rate. Severus didn't want to think of the possibility that both of these girls were part of the very same Black sisters he had both gone to school with in his younger years, and had heard so much about. He really didn't want to think that the baby who was just named Bellatrix could be the very same that took pleasure in torturing another human being. He didn't want to believe it because he had fallen in love with the two of them the moment Mother had whispered they were _his_.

Father set Severus on the duvet that covered his mother's legs near baby Bellatrix. Severus pushed all thoughts of murderous Bellatrix from the past out of his head and crawled forward. He peered over the coverings that kept his baby sister warm and carefully touched her cheek, eyes going wide with wonder at how smooth the skin felt underneath his fingers.

A smile, goofy and innocent crossed his lips when Bellatrix gave a big yawn, her tongue escaped her lips afterward three times before she settled.

Mother chuckled and Father ruffled Severus's hair, curly instead of the greasy looking stick straight hair he was so very used to. It was bittersweet looking in a mirror and not seeing the disaster that Lily had caused with a cauldron meltdown their first year at Hogwarts, but he rather liked the way the curls were still midnight black and framed his rather golden face well, the silver eyes looking back at him had startled him at first but it went with who he was now and he wouldn't change that. His skin had an ivory gold tint to it that darkened whenever his parents took him outside, he had his mother's skin but his father's eyes and hair.

He looked over at Andromeda, both girls had the start of black curls. They were still very pink and he couldn't tell if that would fade to his father's coloring or his mother's. Andromeda blinked open her eyes while pursing her lips, dark blue almost black eyes looked about for a moment before shutting. Her lips stretched into a small smile.

Severus Snape was completely wrapped around these two little girls barely a day old, for these two he was no longer Severus Snape. Instead, he fully embraced his new name Astraeus.

* * *

 **From now on I will be referring to him as Astraeus.**

 **I do hope I managed to keep Severus as close to his original character as possible, I tried to think realistically how anyone so bitter would react being exposed to two loving parents for two years even if it was mostly off and on. I'm not entirely sure, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, though.**

 _ **As of right now, I have no decided pairings, I'm willing to take suggestions.**_

 **Raindrops**


	3. Chapter 3

A prank gone horribly wrong sends Severus Snape spiraling into an alternate universe as a small baby. In the wrong family.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own HP, I'm just borrowing the characters for a game or two.**

* * *

"Mind her head now, Astraeus." Mother had said gently laying baby Bellatrix in his arms.

Father chuckled, one arm was tucked around Astraeus and helped him hold Bellatrix as he sat in his lap. His other hand held a letter.

Astraeus tucked Bellatrix closer to himself. Her eyes fluttered underneath her lids and her mouth twitched. He smiled and watched her closely, she wasn't nearly so pink anymore. Instead, her skin was the closer shade to his own, Andromeda's skin had also turned slightly goldish. Their eyes were still a very dark blue that Mother had told him would fade into the color that was going to be uniquely them as time went on. He hoped that one of them, or both inherited the same color of eyes that he had.

Father shifted slightly underneath Astraeus, "Druella, darling." Mother had retaken her seat next to baby Andromeda on the love seat, she had only gotten up to hand Bellatrix to Astraeus when he had asked to hold her, she looked up with a hand on Andromeda's stomach. "My sister just sent word of a pregnancy."

Mother, or Druella, lifted an eyebrow. "Just now? In that letter?"

Astraeus looked up slightly curious, he hadn't known that Father had a sister. Maybe he just hadn't met her yet? Doubtful but he had been in and out of it for his first couple of years here, that was probably why he didn't know her.

"It seems that she had originally just thought she was gaining weight from all of the parties she had been attending as every pregnancy test she had taken before hand was negative." Father gave Druella a lopsided smile, "her feet had apparently swelled last weekend and her husband had taken her to St. Mungos. Turns out she's eight months along already and due at the beginning of next month."

Astraeus felt a tiny flare of relief at the mention of the hospital because it meant he was still in a world he knew about. He very carefully didn't think about the cousin that was on his or her way, he had cousins as Severus but they ignored him and he happily returned the favor.

Druella laughed, it was more a cackle than an actual laugh. "She was starting to get as big as I was." She shook her head and gently lifted Andromeda into her arms when she started to squirm a bit. "She quite honestly didn't think to check herself into St. Mungo's?"

Astraeus felt more than saw his father shrug. "You know Walburga." He set the letter down, "She'll try anything to keep away from that place. She's convinced if she does go there they would never let her leave." Astraeus felt himself go still with his aunt's name, Merlin, he hoped with all that he was that this woman wasn't the very same from that wretched portrait in number 12 Grimmauld Place.

She rolled her eyes, "yes because they'd label her insane and keep her there."

"I think she's more afraid of ending on her deathbed there." Father chuckled, he placed a kiss on Astraeus' head and looked down at Bellatrix over Astraeus' shoulder.

Druella pursed her lips, "since she's so far along did they check the baby's gender?"

"They tried, for some reason nothing happened. They had thought it was extremely strange, but they assumed that whatever it was that kept the tests she had taken from showing positive is what made the spell fail. It's happened before, with other couples, they said when the child came it had always been very strongly aligned with magic." Astraeus looked back down at Bellatrix, she had moved in his arms and opened her eyes. "They had to get a muggle pregnancy test for the actual result."

"That's just awful, from my understanding they have to urinate on a stick."

"She said it was something called an Ultrasound, she said it was a fairly new development in the Muggle community." Father had picked the letter back up to get the name correct. "She said she was very impressed with it, she had also said that the test had let her see the baby and listen to the baby's heartbeat."

"Really? Your sister let _muggles_ test her?" Druella raised an eyebrow and laid Andromeda on her lap.

Bellatrix made a gurgling sound and latched onto the finger that Astraeus had offered to her. Father looked back down at her and watched Bellatrix stuff Astraeus' finger into her mouth. "No muggles didn't test her, they had some of the equipment there, it was a room lined with lead that she had felt extremely uncomfortable in. She goes into much more detail than that I assure you." Father drawled waving the letter about in his hand, it was a rather long letter.

Druella laughed again, more cackle than a laugh. "Your sister adores you.

* * *

"What if it's not?" Druella asked Walburga who was laying in pain on the bed that only the month before Druella had delivered her twins.

"It will be a boy." Walburga hissed, her features twisted up in anger and a grimace. Walburga looked strikingly like Father, Astraeus thought from his perch in Dreulla's arms. The only difference he could see, dark blue almost black of her eyes, the same eyes his little sisters were growing out of.

Father sighed heavily from his seat next to Walburga's husband. Astraeus had yet to hear his name and would rather look anywhere else besides at the man. The man looked like a much younger, saner man than Sirius Black did after his escape from Azkaban. From his black hair slightly curled to his silvery-blue eyes, he was what should have become of Sirius Black.

"And if it isn't?" Druella asked once more, she leaned in a little closer.

"I don't care! It will be a boy! It has a strong magical core, obviously, it will be a boy! My little Sirius Orion Black!" Walburga nearly screamed. Astraeus felt his world slip sideways and grabbed onto Druella's shoulder a little tighter.

Druella shifted Astraeus up higher in her arms and looked over the top of his head at Father. "If you are wrong and it comes out a girl are you going to curse her with that name?"

"Yes! It will have taught that stupid girl a lesson for coming out a girl instead of a boy!" Walburga was nearing screeching levels and on reflex, Astraeus tucked his head into Druella's shoulder.

"Walburga," Father said calmly with a frown on his face. "No girl ever deserves that."

Walburga didn't reply.

Druella's shoulders were stiff with anger, but she held her tongue and let herself out of the room.

* * *

On November third Astraeus greeted his new baby cousin and he felt his world narrow. The room slightly spun as puzzle pieces fell into place and left him slightly gasping for breath. He wanted to refuse to believe that he had somehow landed in a different dimension as the older brother to the Black sisters and the older cousin to one Sirius Orion Black who came out a girl.

Walburga wouldn't hold her daughter after being told the gender and her husband, Orion, had simply handed the child over to Father and then sat next to his wife's head on the bed holding her hand.

Walburga's actions angered Astraeus' entire household.

Sirius became a rather permanent visitor and stayed with the twins in the crib. After a month of constant exposure to the baby, Astraeus had come to accept his lot in this life and Sirius right along with it, because this little girl wasn't her male counterpart yet and if he had any say in how she grew, she never would be.

Druella treated Sirius as if she was the third part of the triplets she mostly gave birth to, she breastfed all three of them, changed all three of them, and held all three of them. Father, or Cygnus as Astraeus later learned, had done the same. He let Sirius into their lives and on more than one occasion would come home from visiting his sister angry and spouting muttered curses.

It took a month for Astraeus' family to settle, but they did and he had three little sisters. Two that looked almost exactly like him except for the gray eyes where his were silver, and one that had the same black curls but pale skin and silvery-blue eyes. He learned to love all three of them equally.

* * *

 **I'm not happy with the last part but I also didn't really want to dwell on it.**

 **I'm going through some of Astraeus' childhood before skipping to Hogwarts. I've got two more chapters planned for his childhood.**

 **Raindrops**


	4. Chapter 4

A prank gone horribly wrong sends Severus Snape spiraling into an alternate universe as a small baby. In the wrong family.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own HP, I'm just borrowing the characters for a game or two.**

* * *

"May I help you?" Cygnus asked holding the front door open to the two men dressed in Aurora robes, in one of their arms was a small bundle of blankets.

Astraeus grabbed Sirius' hand before she had the chance to run out of the open door. She turned to him and pouted, her silvery blue eyes sparkled with unshed tears. Astraeus just shook his head and tucked her up under his arm.

"We are very sorry to disturb you, Lord Black." The one on the left spoke, his empty hand rose to push his blonde fringe out of his face. "I'm Aurora Danny Woodstock and this is Aurora Alfred Yester." He paused and took a deep breath. "Last night, your sister gave birth to a daughter three months early with a few complications."

Cygnus blinked and turned to take in the small pile of white blankets in the other's arms. "Complications?" His voice was flat and with the barest hint of sounding faint.

"I assure you that the baby," Alfred gestured the blankets forward. "Is very healthy."

"We would like to discuss last night's events with you and your wife if that would be acceptable?" Danny placed a hand on Alfred's shoulder.

Astraeus turned and dragged Sirius along with him from the entry way, he reached out and grabbed a hold of Andromeda on his way out to keep her from racing towards the exit. Sometimes he wished that the two girls had never met, they had the tendency of egging the other on and the amount of trouble they would find themselves in doubled if either of them were around.

Bellatrix looked up at them from her seat in Cygnus' favorite armchair. She had a picture book in her hands, Muffet, her stuffed white rabbit, was tucked in the crook of her right elbow. She was the calm, quiet one of the three girls, she was also Astraeus' favorite. She offered a smile and a small wave.

"Let me go get my wife." Cygnus passed Astraeus and the girls, ruffling Astraeus' hair as he passed.

"Of course," Danny said stepping into the front room.

Astraeus tucked both of his sister's into the armchair with Bellatrix. Sirius had immediately protested with her nonsensical babbling and held onto his arm tightly. Andromeda simply curled into Bellatrix's side. Astraeus rolled his eyes but let Sirius down so she could sit on his lap on the ground.

The two Auroras shifted on their feet slightly uncomfortable being in this environment.

"I thought this place would be more gothic in design," Danny whispered to Alfred taking in the cream-colored camel back sofa with cherry wood furnishing, the cream colored armchair the children were crowded around that sat to the right of the sofa and slightly turned in towards the ornate cherry wood coffee table. A tan shaggy rug sat underneath the table and stretched out to cover the spaces in front of the seating areas. Two identical end tables made of cherry wood sat on either side of the sofa and little baubles and pictures sat on the surfaces. Another cream-colored camel back loveseat sat opposite of the sofa, and on each of the seats were teal colored throw pillows. The walls were filled with shelves that held books, moving pictures, little trinkets that spun in place or released puffs of steam or softly sung some tune in the background that was much too quiet to be distracting, and a very large fireplace took up most of the wall on the left of the sofa. The fireplace was made of white marble that seemed to contrast with their stone walls very nicely. A silver gate was closed over the opening and on the mantle sat photos of Cygnus' and Druella's wedding and a few vases that had dried roses of several different colors sitting in them. The flooring was cherry wood planks that had been sanded down, stained, and lacquered.

Alfred offered a slight tilt to his lips in response.

"Hello." Astraeus waved keeping one arm tucked around Sirius to keep her from bouncing too much.

"Ah hello, little guy." Astraeus just blinked, too used to how adults had taken in his age and stature with a dismissive attitude. He had gotten over it a while ago, adults happen to be surprisingly honest when the only ears that could hear were a pair that belonged to a three-year-old.

"Hi, hi," Sirius called waving her hands about. Andromeda gave a wave as well. Bellatrix hugged Muffet closer to her chest and looked over his floppy ears at the two men.

Danny gave them a soft smile and a wave back.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting," Druella said as she entered the room with Cygnus tailing her.

"We weren't waiting too long, ma'am." Danny smiled turning towards them.

"Yes, well, please take a seat." She gestured towards the sofa.

Danny sat on the love seat, Cygnus sat on the sofa closest to the children. Andromeda slid off the armchair and crawled into Cygnus' lap. Alfred handed the bundle of blankets over to Druella. "Walburga Black refused to accept the child," Alfred nodded as he took his seat next to Danny on the love seat. "She had named the baby Regulus Arcturus Black before she was even born."

Druella frowned but cradled Regulus closer to her and sat down. "I'm not surprised."

Danny blinked, "I'm sorry?"

Druella looked up from the sleeping face in her arms, "our little Sirius-" She pointed to Sirius. "Was Walburga's first. The woman and her husband left the poor girl in our care, we've been doing the best we can for her."

Danny and Alfred frowned. "That is unfortunate." Alfred spoke, "however, Regulus isn't the reason we're here."

Danny nodded and moved forward to the edge of his seat. "Last night Walburga and Orion Black had checked into St. Mungo's and delivered Regulus. The healers called us to investigate why Walburga Black seemed to be suffering the after-effects of a very illegal fertility potion. This potion is highly potent but the amount of damage it wrecks on the woman's body after birth makes it almost impossible for another chance. The potion that she used wouldn't have caused too much of a problem originally but she also consumed a few speed potions that had caused the baby's growth to accelerate. Regulus was born three months early."

Cygnus gave out a heavy sigh, "that means you are here to either investigate who would have given her that potion or to prosecute her for the consumption of an illegal potion." He pinched the bridge of his nose.

Druella pursed her lips but kept silent.

"That's only the half of it." Alfred nodded, he scratched the side of his neck in slight irritation. "It seems that Orion Black had been unknowingly dosed with influencing potions for quite some time. We suspect that it might have been Walburga's doing, but we have no evidence."

Cygnus turned and looked at Druella, defeat could be read in every line of his face. She gave him a small nod, he turned back towards the narrow eyes of the two Auroras. "To be honest, both of us had thought that Orion might have been under the influence of the Imperius curse. Like you said, we didn't have any proof and mentioning it to my sister would have been disastrous." He rubbed the stubble on his chin that he had forgotten to shave. "What do you want us to do?"

Alfred placed both hands on his knees, "since both Walburga and Orion are stuck in the hospital we have no way of gaining entry into their home to conduct a search. We have applied for a warrant but we aren't entirely sure when either of them will be released from the hospital to let us into their home."

Cygnus nodded, "When you have the warrant, I will let you in."

"Thank you, Lord Black." Alfred gave a tilt of his lips to Cygnus. Danny was still frowning next to him.

"Is there anything that we could do to help?" Druella asked switching Regulus to her other arm so she could hold Cygnus' hand.

"No," Alfred shook his head. "Is it alright to assume that you will take care of Regulus?"

"Yes," Druella gave a small smile and looked back down at the baby in her hands.

"Very well, we thank you for your time, Lord and Lady Black." Alfred stood and pulled Danny to his feet.

* * *

When Regulus was six months old Walburga Black had been brought before the Wizengamot and placed on trial for many reasons, she was then convicted of drugging Orion Black and for the willful consumption of an illegal potion. She was sentenced to Azkaban for five years. Orion suffered through a year of detox and was then placed in the Janus Thickly Ward for therapy. It was unknown if they could bring who Orion was back, but they placed him with the lost causes anyway.

Astraeus watched from the next room, keeping his sisters from the 'sympathetic' eyes that seemed to stray whenever they came over bringing some gift or another for Cygnus and Druella in light of the 'main branch' of the Black Families' failing. It angered Astraeus in so many ways, the families that 'gifted' their condolences were from the darkest parts of the spectrum. It had taken Astraeus a week to come to the conclusion that even if this was a different dimension some things were almost exactly the same.

Months went by, Orion was getting better but still only had the mentality of a child.

Astraeus blinked and suddenly it had been years since the Black family name was in the papers proclaiming the failings of his Aunt and the small amount of progress Orion had been showing towards recovery.

* * *

 **Sorry for having this out later than the rest of the chapters, I had another scene planned but for the life of me, I couldn't put it into words.**

 **I want to thank both Guest reviewers, I loved them both and to answer Guest 1's question Astraeus is two years older than his twin sisters Bellatrix and Andromeda. Sirius is a month younger than the twins and a year older than Regulus. Sirius and Regulus are Walburga's birth daughters but have been essentially adopted into Astraeus' family.**

 **I have a question because I am curious;**

 **What are your thoughts on Necromancy? Like what do you think it takes to raise the dead, how they would control them, and if it is even possible?**

 **I'd really like to know! :)**


End file.
